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Michael Harrington
Religion in the News Editor
Most transgender Americans are young
Most transgender Americans are young
Some critics of transgenderism have suggested that it’s really just a kind of fad and a new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA might support that idea. According to the research, 75% of all Americans who claim to be transgender are under the age of 35 and most of them are actually adolescents. Meanwhile, about 25% of Generation Z — people ages 13-to-28 — identify as LGBT. Percentages drop sharply in older generations.
Listen DownloadA warning about digital devices in the classroom
A warning about digital devices in the classroom
VERBATIM: It comes from the Parents Television and Media Council and it takes aim at efforts by education leaders to increase the use of laptop, tablets and AI by students. PTMC spokesman Melissa Henson says “These tools have led to increased distraction, declining core skills, and rampant exposure to harmful content—even on school-issued devices”. Common Sense Media reports that over 40% of teens who viewed pornography at school saw it on a school computer. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA new poll on discipleship
A new poll on discipleship
VERBATIM: It comes from LifeWay Research and it reveals that 52% of Protestant pastors are satisfied with the state of discipleship in their church. But how do they really know? When asked do you have a specific method for measuring discipleship in your congregation, only 30% of Protestant clergymen say YES. LifeWay spokesman Scott McConnell says these results “highlight the need for a framework for thinking through how a church is approaching discipleship.” MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadEducators in Texas weigh in on the 10 Commandments
Educators in the Lone Star State weigh-in on the 10 Commandments
VERBATIM: More than 17,000 people belong to a page on the social media platform Reddit called Texas Teachers and a lot of them are celebrating a court decision blocking a new law that requires the Decalogue to be posted in every state school. A disturbing number of page members praised the ruling with statements including “Thank Satan” and “Hail Satan”. Others suggested ways to get around the law if it is upheld, including ways of destroying the Commandments posters. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA warning from Christians in South Korea
A warning from Christians in South Korea
World population is headed downward
World population is headed downward
VERBATIM: After decades of warning about the dangers of overpopulation, experts are now changing their tune. A new report from the Pew Research Center indicates that in most places, the birth rate is dangerously low. In North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Carribean women are not having enough babies to replace the number of people who die each year. Africa is above the replacement rate but its annual birth rate is also in steep decline. MH SRN NEW
Listen DownloadA good news, bad news poll from the United Kingdom
A good news, bad news poll from the United Kingdom
VERBATIM: The YouGov survey finds the number of young people in Britain who believe in a higher power has surged. Four years ago just 16% believed — now it’s 37%. The BAD news is that 37% is still awfully low and it’s worth noting that the question posed to British people ages 16-to-24 was “Do you believe there is a God OR GODS” — which suggests that some percentage of those who said YES don’t actually have faith in the God of the Bible. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadPlanned Parenthood is doing just fine
Planned Parenthood is doing just fine
VERBATIM: According to a study by the American Life League, the nation’s largest abortion business continues to prosper despite repeal of Roe versus Wade, making about 450 million dollars a year in pro-life states alone. Planned Parenthood has raised a huge national hue and cry over pro-life laws and restrictions on its taxpayer funding. But the A.L.L. research indicates that the giant abortion provider is not likely to be going bankrupt any time in the near future. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadCOSTCO is staying out of the abortion business
COSTCO is staying out of the abortion business
A dispute over a parking space in upstate New York
A dispute over a parking space in upstate New York
VERBATIM: At Grand Island High School outside Buffalo, seniors who can drive can pay 50 dollars for a designated slot in the parking lot and are then allowed to put their name on it and decorate it. But the school said no when a Christian student wanted to put a cross on her space. She has since engaged the legal group First Liberty, which has sent a letter of warning to school officials. They claim if they allow the cross, they will have to allow Satanic symbols as well. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA Florida ministry takes on dangerous video game platforms
A Florida ministry takes on dangerous video game platforms
VERBATIM: The Florida Faith Alliance is concerned about Roblox, Discord and other sites where children go to play games and might wind up in contact with a sexual predator. The Alliance has begun a series of classes to help teach moms and dads what the dangers are and how to keep their kids safe. Founder Lynn Barletta says “Parents, equipped with the right knowledge, become the frontline defense against predators.” MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA warning from the attorney general of Louisiana
A warning from the attorney general of Louisiana
VERBATIM: Liz Murrill says Roblox, the children’s video gaming platform, is a haven for child predators. Roblox is immensely popular with young people and for that reason Murrill has filed suit against it, charging it with failing to establish even the most basic safety protocols for its customers. The AG says “Users can easily say they are younger or older than their actual age — allowing child predators to pose as children and for children to bypass any age requirement.” MH SRNN NEWS
Listen DownloadAmnesty International goes to bat for Christians in Libya
Amnesty International goes to bat for Christians in Libya
VERBATIM: The human rights organization says the recent trials of 11 believers were a sham and all of the defendants should be released immediately. The Christians were accused of various infractions, including criticizing Islam and trying to spread the gospel. Amnesty says “Prosecutors denied defendants the right to have a lawyer. They also denied the defendants access to police reports.” Libya is number four on Open Doors’ annual list of the world’s worst persecutors. MH SRN NEW
Listen DownloadResidents of Toronto have a message for the city government
Residents of Toronto have a message for the city government
A good news, bad news story about America’s religious institutions
A good news, bad news story about America’s religious institutions
VERBATIM: The GOOD news is that the confidence the general public has in the country’s churches is on the rise. 36% of Gallup Poll respondents say they have a great deal or a fair amount of faith in organized religion — up from 31% just three years ago. The BAD news is that 36% is awfully low — WAY down from the nearly 70% of Americans who had confidence in the church back in 1975. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadDrag queen bingo causes an uproar in New York
Drag queen bingo causes an uproar in New York
VERBATIM: Public outrage has led to the cancellation of a fundraiser by the Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester. The organization, which says its mission is to protect vulnerable kids from harm, had been planning to host a bingo night featuring a performance by a drag queen. When word got out the local community rebelled — some pointing out the strange irony of the Center putting on a show that experts say would actually harm children. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadMarriage is still an aspiration for a lot of Americans
Marriage is still an aspiration for a lot of Americans
A Texas woman sues an abortion pill provider
A Texas woman sues an abortion pill provider
VERBATIM: Liana Davis says the father of her unborn child caused her to have a miscarriage by slipping abortion pills into a hot beverage she was drinking without her knowledge. Her lawsuit states that the father “obtained these drugs from Aid Access, a criminal organization that illegally ships abortion pills into Texas and other jurisdictions where abortion has been outlawed.” A growing number of such cases are coming before U.S. courts as the pills become easier to get. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA court upholds a transgender ban in Oklahoma
A court upholds a transgender ban in Oklahoma
VERBATIM: The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals says the state’s new law barring sex-change operations on children is NOT unconstitutional and may be enforced. Legal analysts say the decision was almost certainly influenced by this year’s Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for a similar statute in Tennessee to go into effect. A growing number of states are taking up legislation that would prevent kids from undergoing irreversible surgeries to help them live as the opposite sex. MH SRNNNEW
Listen DownloadWorld Vision wins a round in court
World Vision wins a round in court
VERBATIM: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the giant Christian relief agency has the right to refuse to hire a woman because she was in a same-sex marriage. The law allows religious organizations to hire and fire according to the dictates of their faith, but the woman took World Vision to court, arguing that it doesn’t qualify for an exemption because it is not a church. The justices disagreed, ruling that the plaintiff’s job involved “vital religious duties.” MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadChristian summer camps are ministering to kids in war torn Ukraine
Christian summer camps are ministering to kids in war torn Ukraine
VERBATIM: Officials with Mission Eurasia run the camps every year to give youngsters in the country and other places an opportunity to get away from their difficult lives and hear the gospel message. About 30,000 children from 14 nations are expected to participate before the end of this summer and the vast majority will be from Ukraine. Spokesman Sergei Rakhuba says “These camps are often the first time in months that children can feel safe, play freely, and hear a message of hope,” MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadThe Trump administration makes some changes to visa rules
The Trump administration makes some changes to visa rules
VERBATIM: Foreign athletes who are men living as women will NOT receive visas to enter the U.S. if they are coming here to compete against women. The action follows President Trump’s instructions to all federal agencies that they do what they can to protect women’s sports — especially with the World Cup Soccer Tournament and the Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. Numerous sports governing bodies are also banning men from women’s competitions. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadSome new findings about Americans who attend church
Some new findings about Americans who attend church
VERBATIM: The poll was conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, and it reveals that while most congregations offer on-line services, only about one-in-four people who regularly attend take advantage of that service. Everybody else wants to be there in person. The report also indicates that volunteering and giving have rebounded since the days of the pandemic, with 50% of churchgoers volunteering their time and talents at least once a month. MH SRN NEWS
Listen DownloadA state athletic organization goes all-in on transgenderism
A state athletic organization goes all-in on transgenderism
VERBATIM: USA Fencing recently announced that it will not allow men to compete in the women’s division. But the Minnesota chapter didn’t like that and has responded by declaring that it will have NO divisions — all fencers, men and women — will have to compete against each other in one large OPEN category. Minnesota Fencing has released a statement criticizing USA Fencing’s transgender ban, and referring to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. MH SRNN NEWS
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